Watch Philip Glass and Lou Reed Use Occupy Wall Street’s People’s Mic

Last night’s Occupy Wall Street gathering at Lincoln Center experienced a serious boost in support that came from New York musical legends Philip Glass, Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson. Glass came out to make a statement in the plaza after his opera, Satyagraha, closed its curtains for the last time, and later New Yorker music critic Alex Ross tweeted that he watched married couple Reed and Anderson help a guy crawl over police barricades. Reed then addressed the crowd, using the people’s mic. “I was born in Brooklyn, but I’ve never been more ashamed than to see the barricades tonight,” he told protesters. Reed also took an opportunity to address the protest’s relationship with the NYPD. “The police are our army,” he said. “I want to be friends with them. And I want to occupy Wall Street. I support it in each and every way.”

The significance of the “our army” probably has to do with a bone-headed statement from Mayor Bloomberg at MIT yesterday, when he told the audience, “I have my own army in the NYPD, which is the seventh biggest army in the world.” The statement was by way of explanation how City Hall (rather than Washington) suits Bloomberg’s political aspirations, but the NYPD’s prerogative to bar journalists from the Occupy protest in midtown last week has thrown the Mayor’s use of “my own army” under especially scrutinizing light. Palm, meet forehead.

One Comment

I was there from 10:30 to 1 AM. one part I haven’t seen reported at least two people were taken into custody- we saw one guy around 10:45 who somehow made it on the plaza and was holding a sign, and then later another guy after the people exited the opera house and started to come down to the barriers. I dont know if they were released or arrested or what. Also hunger strike was announced at the end of the night, and director of Linc Center security got called out when someone in the crowd recognized her standing on the plaza. There were many Juilliard / Fordham / Linc Center speakers during the night, Occupy Musicians person was there, ABC news workers, etc. it was a very emotional night, ended with a large group hug.